Electrical energy is sometimes generated by attaching a generator or alternator to the frame of a vehicle and coupling the rotor of the device to the axle of the vehicle. As the vehicle axle rotates the device rotor also rotates thereby generating the desired electrical energy. Such power generating devices are used in the railroad industry and take many different forms. A serious objection to most of these devices is that they are coupled to the railroad car axle in such a way that the bearing end cap of the axle must be either temporarily removed, modified, and replaced or a different end cap must be substituted. The reason that this is undesirable is that this disturbs the axle bearing when removing the bearing end cap and requires the skill of a workman that is specifically trained in this procedure. Such skilled workmen are normally only found in central work shops necessitating sending each railroad car that is to be retrofitted with one of these power generating devices to the central work shop for installation. Additionally, the special bearing end caps must be stocked by the railroad yards, thereby introducing additional inventory problems. It is, therefore, desirable to couple the power generating device to the railroad car without disturbing the bearing end cap so that the installation can be accomplished in the field by a less skilled workman. The power generating device is secured to the truck or carriage of the railroad car by means of bolts which are threaded into the bearing adapter block of the vehicle. The rotor of the power generating device has a drive shaft that is in alignment with the vehicle axle. A drive coupling is attached to the end of the bearing end cap in driving engagement with the rotor of the power generating device. As the vehicle axle rotates the coupling rotates the rotor. There are several different sized railroad car carriages, or trucks, which include bearing adapter blocks which are different sizes and different distances from their respective axle ends. Each different sized carriage requires a power generating unit that is made to fit that specific carriage.
What is needed is an interface block that will receive a standard sized electrical power device such as a power generating unit, but will mount to any of the different sized bearing adapter blocks of the different sized carriages, thereby permitting the use of a single power generating unit on any of a variety of railroad cars having different sized carriages.